News

Furious Gov Otti reacts to reported missing N54bn from Abia treasury

Otti clarified that the cited figures were mere budgetary provisions and not evidence of cash expenditure, insisting that his administration is operating a transparent financial system. Abia State Governor Alex Otti has furiously reacted to viral claims that N54 billion has gone missing from the state treasury, dismissing the allegations as baseless and a reflection of ignorance about government budgeting and spending processes.

Recall that last week, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the Abia’s Best Interest Association had accused Otti of running the state’s affairs in an opaque manner, labelling him a political liability. The group’s convener, Eze Chikamnayo, challenged the governor to account for the N54 billion budget for public school renovation in the 2024 fiscal year.

According to Chikamnayo, despite the huge budgetary allocations for renovations, a visit to several local government areas in the state showed that public school infrastructures are in a deplorable state.

However, reacting during a media chat on Friday, Otti clarified that the bandied figures were mere budgetary provisions and not evidence of cash expenditure.

He stressed that his administration had only spent N2.1bn out of the budgeted sums for school renovations.

He maintained that his administration has operated a transparent financial system, challenging his critics to “understand numbers before speaking.”

“Even the issue of N54bn, the original person who talked about it found out shortly after he spoke that he made a mistake and he decided to walk back his mistakes.

“There’s something called State Transparency, World Bank State SFEAN. It is a programme by the World Bank that requires states to publish their budget performance. What is a budget? Budget is an estimate. At the end of the day, what is important is what cash is spent,” the Governor noted.

Otti further explained that the state’s audited financial accounts for 2024, which clearly show how much was disbursed, had already been made public.

Additionally, he noted his administration had adopted pet measures in place to prevent diversion of funds, particularly through advance payment guarantees for contractors.

“If you check that website, you will see a figure of N2.1bn. That’s what has been spent

What this government does is that before we hand over money to you, we must collect an advance benefit guarantee. So that in the unlikely event you decide to face your village after collecting money, we rely on the guarantee.

“So, at any point in time, if you are working for us, your money will be in our hands and not the other way around,” he stated.
The Governor concluded that the allegation of missing billions was politically concocted by individuals he described as mischief makers with no credibility.

Entertainment

Kanayo O. Kanayo demands lifetime streaming royalties for Nollywood stars

Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has stirred up a conversation the industry has been quietly avoiding for years. The award-winning actor and lawyer recently proposed that the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) implement a policy mandating lifetime royalty payments for all Nigerian actors and actresses featured in films uploaded to streaming platforms.

He also called for a dedicated agency to oversee and enforce compliance nationwide, arguing it would ensure performers earn from their craft long after the cameras stop rolling. The timing of the proposal is telling. Stories of financial ruin among once-beloved Nigerian actors have become alarmingly common.

Last month, veteran actor Abiodun Ayoyinka, widely known as Papa Ajasco, spoke openly about his financial struggles despite decades in the industry.

Two years prior, Hanks Anuku made headlines with public pleas for financial assistance after falling on hard times post-Nollywood.

Patience Ozokwor recently put it bluntly: “The reason why Nollywood actors and actresses are poor is that we don’t get royalties for what we do, we only get paid for our appearance at the shoot.” Her words, along with the others, show a consistent pattern of demand.

The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from industry figures. Writer-director Jadesola Osiberu responded with sarcasm, suggesting that if actors want royalties, perhaps they should also contribute to covering a producer’s losses proportional to their screen time, a dig at the one-sided nature of the demand.

Producer and actress Bolaji Ogunmola was more direct: if actors want backend earnings, they should negotiate equity stakes and invest in projects upfront rather than seek guaranteed payouts after the fact.

It’s a fair challenge. The music industry comparison many have reached for doesn’t quite hold up here.

In more structured film industries, residuals are tied to carefully negotiated distribution contracts and enforced by unions, organisations built over decades with legal infrastructure and industry-wide buy-in.

News

Katsina plans mass wedding for 1,000 couples

The state government’s maiden welfare initiative will unite 2,000 individuals on April 25, even as armed bandits terrorise nearby communities. The Katsina State Government has announced a mass wedding ceremony for at least 1,000 couples drawn from all 34 local government areas, describing the initiative as a bid to ease the financial burden of marriage on the state’s most vulnerable residents.

The event, scheduled for April 25, 2026, will bring together 2,000 individuals, including widows, orphans, and economically disadvantaged people who, officials say, have long been willing to marry but unable to afford it.

The Director General of the Katsina State Hisbah Board, Malam Abu-Ammar, announced a livelihood support and counselling training session on Thursday.

He said the programme was conceived as part of the government’s efforts to reduce conditions that breed social vices.

“Many widows, orphans, and vulnerable individuals are unable to get married despite their willingness due to socioeconomic challenges,” he said.

The Katsina State Commissioner for Women Affairs, A’isha Malumfashi, added that all 1,000 couples had already undergone medical screening and compatibility verification ahead of the ceremony.

The government has promised support packages for both brides and grooms, though the total budget for the event has not been disclosed.

The announcement, however, comes at a fraught moment for the state. Just hours before it was made public, armed bandits reportedly issued a written ultimatum to communities in Kankia Local Government Area, demanding 700 cows and 1,000 sheep within four days or face violent raids.

News

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on countries arming Iran

Donald Trump has cautioned that the United States will impose heavy tariffs on any country that is found to supply military weapons to Iran, raising the bar of pressure in the midst of continuing tensions with Tehran.

On Wednesday, in a statement released on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that any country supplying arms to Iran would be subjected to a 50 percent tariff on all its goods exported to the United States without any delay.

“A country supplying military weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed on all goods sold to the United States of America, 50 per cent, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions,” he wrote.

The warning comes shortly after the U.S. president announced a temporary ceasefire arrangement with Iran following heightened tensions in the region. This happened just hours before the deadline, Donald Trump urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The US President announced a ceasefire facilitated by Pakistan. In a post X, the White House shared that Trump has issued a temporary hold on all military activities in Iran.

President Trump announced that after conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he will be suspending the bombing and attack on Iran for a period of two weeks after the Iranians agreed to an “immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz”.

He went ahead and added that the US has already met and exceeded all military objectives and is making progress on a long-term peace agreement with Iran. Trump also said his administration is considering possible economic relief measures for Tehran, noting that Washington is currently engaged in discussions around tariff and sanctions relief.

The developments follow Iran’s reported agreement to temporarily reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route at the centre of recent geopolitical concerns.

While details of the ceasefire and negotiations remain limited, the latest remarks highlight a mix of economic pressure and diplomatic engagement from Washington as it navigates relations with Tehran.

The series of warnings started in March, when Trump issued one of his most explosive warnings yet to Iran, saying the United States could “completely obliterate” the country’s electric plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island if a deal with a so-called “new and more reasonable regime” fails and the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

In a post on social media, Trump claimed the U.S. is in serious discussions with a new Iranian leadership aimed at ending American military operations in the country. However, he warned that failure to reach a deal quickly could prompt devastating military action against Iran’s infrastructure.